5 Strategies to Engage Millennial Employees

If by know we’re aware that things change along with the new generations, we can definitely state that Millennials are much more complex than the previous generations.

According to the definition, millennials are persons who were born around 1970s-2000s. These individuals are becoming familiar with the digital world early in their life; therefore, they develop specific mindsets and behaviors that translate into different needs and expectations for their workplace.

Let’s take a look at how millennials are different from other generations:

They use technology in better and more productive ways. Digital applications and instant communication are changing the way they work.
Different social dynamics and mindsets.
Millennials like to contribute to the workplace and help other colleagues in need.
They love to work in teams rather than individually.
They want constructive and critical feedback. In terms of rewards, cash bonuses are no longer as efficient as they used to be.

Employers who want to retain and engage them need to understand how to stimulate them.

In today’s article we’ll discover five effective tips on how to deal with millennial employees:

1. Establish the Expectations

If you want your company to work smoothly, you and your employees must know what to expect from each other. In order to make it fair, you definitely need to make sure they understand what you’re offering, and what they’re expected to give back.

This includes rewards, promotions, and other opportunities that you can provide them with. Also make sure that as an employer you are not creating the wrong expectations concerning their work/life balance.

If you promise something, make sure it’s going to happen. On the other side, be sure that they are aware of their obligations.

2. Understand Your Millennial Employees

John Cranny, HR manager at Careers Booster, advises employers to focus on an important aspect: understanding how your employees think, what stimulates them, what worries them the most, and how you can prove to be helpful for them.

In order to understand millennials, I’d suggest spending some time with them. Treat them as equals and try to learn as much as you can from them. By having few interesting discussions, you can definitely gather more knowledge about their thinking and ultimately become a better employer.

Another alternative would be to start reading some specialized articles and books about the characteristics of millennials. Get the knowledge from people who’ve already studied this topic.

3. Offer Them Flexibility

Today’s workplace environment and functionality are quickly changing. There are advanced tools and devices we take advantage of every day, the Internet is indispensable, and there’s a tendency towards employees’ freedom.

Because of these factors, millennial employees need a certain degree of flexibility. As an employer, you should make sure that their needs are met.

Here’s a good tip: according to your business needs, take each employee on the side and figure out together whether he can prove to be more useful if he or she is given enough flexibility.

Options such as working from home or coming only a few days a week could cause big positive changes in your company. And that’s only because some employees work better if they have more control over their time.

4. Create Engagement and Desire

By engaging your employees, you can create more opportunities for growth for your company. Millennials are talented people with a lot of creativity; they strive to do their best as long as they are motivated.

In order to create the necessary engagement, you should first get to know them better on a personal level. Then, try to appeal to their most urging needs and desires. By creating activities and promising rewards that gain their interest, their engagement will improve.

5. Help Them Develop and Grow

You can choose to be an impersonal employer, or a dedicated one. As a higher rank and the head of the operations, you should treat your millennial employees with more interest. Getting involved in their personal and professional development is more than often productive for your company.

Think about it. You (or someone else) will dedicate time for improving the overall quality of the employee. If the employee becomes better at what he does, so will your company.

Most millennial employees want to be loyal to you, as it gives them a feeling of security. They will also want to contribute and help as much as they can. Letting them know that you are willing to help them grow will only improve their loyalty and interest for your company.

Conclusion

Being an employer is not an easy task. Working with millennial employees is often fun and interesting. You get to know the new generation’s way of thinking, acting, working, and so on.

It’s very important to understand that millennial employees are more complex that their predecessors. If you treat them accordingly, you can “get” to them and use them in the most productive ways.